Big Tree Dreams
by LoneStorm
Summary: In which little and ridiculously ginormous Christmas dreams come true. Nalu Christmas tree farm AU. For joannya in the Secret Santa Fairy Tail fic exchange.


The same question had circled around Natsu's mind for several hours: _Why would anyone wait till the night of Christmas Eve to buy a Christmas tree?_

Lounging behind the thick, oak counter in the spinning office chair, Natsu grumpily huffed some pink bangs from his face and kicked a line of sleigh bells nearby. All of his friends were at parties, (not that he'd been invited, considering the fruit punch and puppy fiasco last year, but he'd been planning on coming anyway) or at home with their families. While Natsu's only remaining family was his cat, his tiny apartment with his full refrigerator, hot sauce, and Netflix were far better company than the occasional passing car and the fire crackling mournfully in the corner.

Gramps, his boss at the little Christmas tree farm, had insisted that someone stay to man the place because someone still might come for a tree. (Why Natsu got chosen for the job unsupervised was a mystery to him, considering how prone he was to lighting things on fire. He kept lighters in his pocket that he'd flick on whenever he was bored. People referred to him as a pyromaniac in general conversation. And their entire business was trees. How did he even get a _job_ here? Was he the only interviewee that knew how to swing an ax?) Well, if someone _did_ come, Natsu figured he'd be just about ready to pick up his ax and brain whoever dared to step in that front door-

"Um, excuse me? Could I, ah, have some help?"

Natsu had been so busy simmering that he didn't hear the bell ring for the angel at the door to get her wings.

Okay, so she didn't have wings. But she was ridiculously pretty-looked his age-with golden blonde hair and brown eyes that filled him up with warmth like hot chocolate. Her nose and cheeks were a deep pink, chilled from snow that was still clinging to her eyelashes. The knitted hat and thick coat didn't seem to be enough to keep her warm. She was stomping her feet free of the snow on her boots.

He lept to his feet, previous thoughts of decapitation vanishing at the sight of her. "H-hi! Merry Christmas Eve, and, em, come right in! Here, get by the fire…"

"Thank you," she breathed with obvious relief, shuffling from the door to the fire by his counter. She held gloved hands out towards the flames, light dancing on her cheeks. "I-I was wondering if you had an ax I could borrow. I brought a sled and rope to bring the tree home but I couldn't find an ax at my place and-"

"A sled and rope?" Natsu repeated, aghast. "You're bringing home a tree with a sled and rope? Don't you have a truck or…"

"No, I don't have a car that can carry a tree," she admitted. "And I don't have an ax, so I was hoping I could borrow one…"

Natsu walked around the counter to stand beside her, sliding his thumbs into his belt loops. Cocking his head, he pointed out, "Um… most of our trees are rather… big? You shouldn't be cutting one on your own. Safety rules."

"O-oh I don't wanna trouble you-"

"I mean, I would say no problem, and it isn't, but the truth is… it's kind of my job." Natsu pointed out, giving an imploring shrug.

Slowly, the girl began to smile. "Thank you. I'm Lucy."

"And I'm Natsu." With a winning smile, he shrugged on his worn, brown jacket and stuffed leather work gloves into his pocket. Natsu swung his ax up onto his shoulder. "Take me to your dream tree."

* * *

About five minutes later, Natsu stood at the base of the tree she wanted. He was quiet for a moment, dropping the head of his ax to the ground and resting his hands on the end. He blinked twice. Rubbed his chin. "Do… do you know why this one is still here, Lucy?"

She rubbed her hands together. "Hmm, I was wondering that. It's so pretty! Why?"

"Because everyone that saw it knew they couldn't fit it in their _house_."

Lucy planted her hands on her hips, emanating a rather intimidating presence that Natsu hadn't seen coming. "You told me to take you to my dream tree and this is it! Now can you cut it or not?"

"Geez, chill out, woman…"

"I'm quite chilled already, thanks. It's about ten degrees out."

"Maybe I should rephrase this." Natsu opened his hands to her in suggestion. "Take me to your dream tree that can fit onto a small sled."

"I could've cut that myself!" Lucy huffed.

"And I would've gotten fired for letting you cut it yourself. Seriously, you cannot fit treezilla through your front door, much less even take it a foot on a sled through this new packing snow. Do you have a spare semi-truck lying around, perhaps? Scratch that, do you even have the cash for this?"

Her eyes flashed in the starlight, and Natsu found himself backing up a bit. "You're not a very good salesman, sir. I'm offering to buy your most expensive product. It's not your concern what I do with it after I have it."

"It _is_ my concern!" Natsu insisted, gesturing toward the fir that was at _least_ twenty feet tall. "You, trying to handle this monster on your own? You could get seriously injured doing almost anything with it."

Slowly, her shoulders slackened, and her hands slid from her hips to her pockets. "O-oh… Well, um…" Lucy let out a groan and dropped her head. Her breath came out as a puff of curling steam in the frigid night. "I just… I guess I dreamed a bit too big, huh?" She kicked at a snowflake. "Sorry, I was just… hoping to have the house looking awesome when my dad comes home. We haven't had a tree in a few years… because he's usually gone, but since he's finally gonna be home, I kept imagining him walking in to see this gorgeous, huge tree like we always had when mom was… and the fireplace and… Wow, I am rambling to a guy I met about five minutes ago."

Her story may just have made Natsu's heart bleed out. "No… no it's fine. I… I get it." An image flashed in his mind: him sitting on a smiling Igneel's shoulders to place the angel on the very tippy top of the Christmas tree. "Christmas trees are important." And then he made a split-second decision. (So, exactly like the rest of the decisions in his life were made.) "Look, I'm gonna cut this tree for you. Then we'll strap it to the bed of my truck and somehow… get it into your house. And put it up. You have a stand big enough for it?"

Lucy's face was absolutely glowing, and he knew he'd made the right split-second-decision for once. "Yes, I do! Oh really? You'd do that? Does that come with the service?"

"Uh… sure?" He cleared his throat. "I mean, yes. Absolutely. Of course it does."

"Thank you!" she breathed, dancing around in a little circle. Natsu stared. _Shit, that's cute._ "Thank you so much!"

"Y-yeah, no problem… but, ehe, it's my job… okay, stand back!"

Natsu walked around the tree, looking for the best place to send it falling down. It took several more swings than usual before "Timber!" and the fir toppled over in a massive, green heap.

"Alright, back to the building!" Natsu called to Lucy, putting the ax back onto his shoulder with a grin. She hurried after him. Once in the cabin again, Natsu put out the fire, turned off the lights, and locked the door. If some rich person came for a tree at midnight, well, maybe he'd get his head chewed off next time, but helping a beautiful girl decorate her house for her father for Christmas? Fa la la la fuck you, Christmas Eve shift!

After he rounded up some clamps and straps, the two marched out to his rusty, red pickup. "Ready to get your hands covered in dirt and sap?" Natsu asked, glancing from the truck to treezilla.

Lucy took off her gloves. "Rarin' to go."

Once the truck was beside the tree's trunk, it took about ten minutes of struggling and mutters of creative curses before they heaved the trunk into the bed and shoved it towards the cab. Their hands were slathered in sap and bark and scrapes from the needles. So much tree stuck out the back of the bed that it must've been illegal, but Natsu hoped cops may feel more lenient at Christmas.

After another ten minutes of strapping, the two were buckling themselves into his truck. Natsu turned on the headlights and the stereo. "All systems a go?"

"Affirmative, Captain," Lucy said in a stiff voice, playing along. "Treezilla secured. Engine at full capacity. _Sleigh Ride_ playing at volume level 15."

"Making the jump to lightspeed!" Natsu said as he shifted into Drive. "I'll need the coordinates for the destination."

"Aye, sir."

She gave him directions; it wasn't far. A five minute drive with a tree hanging out the back to this massive white mansion that looked like it belonged to Daddy Warbucks and probably came with the singing staff as well. Natsu slowed to a stop in front of the double French doors that stood proudly between marble columns above the staircase. "Well… I see why you thought it would fit."

Lucy seemed embarrassed. "Let's… get the tree."

The damn thing was a nightmare to get up the stairs, but easier than it had been to get it in the truck, because this time, Natsu had the sense enough to tie straps around it and pull the base of the tree with ropes over the shoulder. Lucy took a moment to unlock the doors, and then shoved them wide. The tree managed to fit through easily, which was saying _a lot._

"Through the opening to the right," Lucy panted once they'd entered the high-ceilinged monster of a building. "Living room."

To Natsu's relief, Lucy had the massive tree stand waiting. "Okay," he told her, setting down the trunk so that part of it rested on the tree stand. "I'm gonna tie this to the top of the tree and you'll stand towards the bottom. We'll pull it up. Do you know how to secure it?"

"I-I think so…"

"I'll help when I can," he told her, knotting one of the straps at the top. "Ready?"

And so treezilla arose, towering over them in the center of the room.

"What can I say?" Natsu brushed off his hands. "Big tree dreams really do come true."

A pause. "Thank you," Lucy said quietly, gazing up at the glorious fir. "The big tree dream wouldn't have happened without you."

His heart swelled, and he found himself saying. "Well, it isn't quite true yet. It's naked! Where are your lights?"

"R-really? Is that part of the service too?!"

"Yyyyyyyes… Yep. Uh huh. Totally."

"Wow, your guys' business is fantastic!"

Natsu gave a nervous laugh, scratching his neck under his scarf. "Oh yeah. That's us. Fairy Tail Christmas Tree Farm: makin' your big tree dreams happen since 16th century Germans started randomly bringing trees into their houses and decorating them at Christmas."

She rolled her eyes, and pulled up a bin labeled "X-Mas Lights" that had been sitting by the couch. Lucy then stripped off her coat and gloves, scarf and hat, leaving her in a red sweater and jeans. With a shrug, Natsu got rid of his winter gear as well and finished off by grabbing a Santa hat from a nearby stuffed animal and jamming it on his head. "You Christmassed?"

Lucy turned on a bluetooth stereo with a Christmas playlist running and put on a Santa hat of her own. "So Christmassed."

It took ladders and several near death experiences to put the star on top of the tree, and more to spiral the light rope around and around the tree, but they made it out alive with minor eternal mental trauma. Without asking, Natsu then through the top off the ornament box and began hanging them. Some silver and blue to match the lights, many homemade ones from grade school, presumably, and enough little angels and stars to create a choir in the night sky. Lucy took out a beautifully carved Nativity scene and arranged it under the tree with a smile.

Smile remaining and warming Natsu from head to toe, she stood and handed Natsu the little wooden baby Jesus. "I would've set this up earlier with the rest of my decorations, but we always put it under the tree. My mom always told me that we had to hide baby Jesus until Christmas day was officially here."

"Did you ever… lose him?"

"...yes. Yes we have. But we found him eventually!"

Natsu grinned and hid the little Jesus in the stocking with an "L" on the fireplace.

When he returned, she'd brought out cookies and milk.

"For Santa?" he guessed.

"For you," Lucy laughed. "It would've taken a ridiculous amount of work and time to do this without you. It's absolutely beautiful, really. Thank you."

"What are you thanking me for? You're giving me _food_."

So they threw themselves down on the couch, gorged on cookies and milk and staring at the wondrous tree that they'd wrangled in. Natsu was pretty sure he was tasting sap from his hands on the cookies, but he was too happy to care.

"I thought I'd be spending my Christmas Eve stuck in the tree farm cabin," Natsu voiced, smile tugging on the end of his mouth as he took another swig of milk. "This is… way better."

Lucy was smiling down at her glass. "I-I'm glad. Thank you for… everything. You guys really take this Christmas tree business seriously."

"It's important," he said, meeting her gaze. "They're a symbol that reminds you of some of the best stuff in life. I'm happy I could help you with one here."

She stood, flushing, and offered him a hand. "You're right. We made a pretty good team, huh?"

"Best co-pilot I've ever had," he confirmed, taking the help to stand up. He followed her through to the front door, once he'd grabbed his coat, where Lucy stood and bit her lip. Natsu didn't walk right out, because she looked like she was about to say something… and he didn't to. He kind of wanted to stay. And keep decorating. And laughing. And binging on cookies. Maybe some corny Christmas movies. Or at least… get her phone number? How? Didn't Gray and Loke try to give him tips on how to get a girl's number before? Why the hell hadn't Natsu listened?

 _Because Gray and Loke are dipshits?_ he internally reasoned. Oh yeah, there was that.

But still.

"Well, um." Lucy shifted her feet. "I guess… this is it?"

"Yeah…" Natsu frowned, pocketing his hands. "Thanks for… you know. Bonding through trauma with me over treezilla."

She laughed, and then handed him the money for the tree. "Here's the price tag I saw on the tree and the fee I read for cutting it down on the sign in the cabin. How much do I owe you for the rest of the setup service? I didn't see a price on the sign."

Natsu breathed out deeply and tilted his head guiltily. "Probably because… there isn't one?"

"What?"

Hoping this wasn't about to sound creepy, he admitted, "Okay, so we don't actually offer any delivery or setup or decorative services. I would usually be home by now."

Lucy said, baffled, "But… but then why…?"

"I didn't want you to get hurt taking care of that by yourself," he muttered. "And… I dunno, you wanted to decorate for your dad. That's really cool."

Luckily, this only made her blush and smile. "O-oh… Oh Natsu, you didn't have to…"

"I wanted to. And I… I hope you have an awesome Christmas. I know your dad will love the tree and all the decorations. Those cookies too, man, those were the bomb…" he trailed off, putting a hand on the doorknob. "So, Merry Christmas, Lucy. It was great to meet you. Thanks for spending Christmas Eve with me."

"It was fun," she told him, beaming. "I'm glad to have met you, too. It was getting pretty lonely around here. But… wouldn't you have rather spent tonight with your family?"

Trying not to sound too depressing, Natsu gave a light laugh. "Ah, nah, my cat would've just slept all through it anyway."

"But… your parents? Siblings? Cousins?"

"Well, um, don't exactly have any. But, um… yeah. So. Merry-"

"Oh, Natsu, I'm sor-

"Don't be," he said quickly, wincing. "I mean, I don't need… Um, never mind. Merry Christmas! See ya around!"

Lucy looked pained, but opened the door for him. They both noticed the mistletoe at the same time, swinging at the tall door frame.

"I forgot I put that there," Lucy said in a choked voice. "J-just for decor...ation…"

He was staring at her, and realizing just how much he would be totally okay with kissing her.

Lucy was staring back, and it almost looked like she was thinking the same thing.

She blinked and cleared her throat. "O-oh, but… haha, that's silly… I just met you! I can't just… kiss you."

"Maybe." Natsu shrugged, looking up at her with a smirk from under the Santa hat he'd forgotten to take off. "But I think we've recently proven that stranger things have happened on Christmas Eve."

At that, she burst out laughing. "Oh… oh what the hell!"

She pulled him down by the scarf and kissed him. It was only about ten seconds, but there was a ringing in his ears like church bells and her body against him was so warm against the wafting snowfall of the outside.

And when her forehead was set against his, she was smiling. "Merry Christmas, Natsu."

He hummed back, slightly dizzy. "Merry Christmas, Lucy." And, feeling as if it were physically painful, he pulled back and took a step away. "Oh, and your hat-"

"Bring it back tomorrow," she cut him off, eyes shining. "When you come for dinner. If you don't have plans with friends, of course."

"I-I don't… r-really?"

"Yes. Bring yourself in a nice sweater and jeans and that hat." She began to close the door. "Six pm sharp. Meet me _right here_." She glanced upward meaningfully, gave a mischievous smile, waved, and the door shut.

In a daze, Natsu wandered back to his truck. "Merry Christmas to me…"

He looked up at the sky, snow drifting onto his face and stars twinkling at him through gaps in the clouds. He had someone to spend Christmas with. Just like that. And she was wonderful. And beautiful. And freaking amazing to kiss.

"Big tree dreams really _do_ come true," he told the sky. He could almost hear Igneel's laugh in the Christmas wind.

* * *

 **MERRY CHRISTMAS DARLINGS!**

 **This was written for joannya on tumblr! I was her Secret Santa :3 About an hour late... but I hope joannya likes it anyway! and I hope you did too! I missed writing Nalu. So the Merriest of Christmases to you, a happiest of holidays, and happiest of New Years!**

 **Adorable icon credit goes to WhiteFoxie on tumblr!**

 **Mizpah,**

 **~LoneStorm**


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